Women dominate the 2024 charts, achieving a historic milestone in UK music consumption.

In 2024, female music artists shattered records, with Taylor Swift leading the charge. Her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, achieved 783,000 sales, making it the most successful release since 2017. Women claimed half of the year’s top 20 best-selling albums for the first time, with stars like Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, and Sabrina Carpenter cementing their dominance.

UK music consumption surged nearly 10%, driven by an 11% rise in streaming, which accounted for 90% of all music consumed. Brits streamed a staggering 199.6bn tracks, reflecting a trend that has doubled in six years. Physical music sales also grew for the first time in two decades, thanks to a resurgence in vinyl. Oasis’s reunion helped their debut album claim second place in vinyl sales, just behind Swift.

Despite these successes, concerns loom for the UK music industry. Artificial intelligence poses a significant threat, with fears of music being reproduced without consent. BPI chief Jo Twist highlighted challenges, including intensified global competition and proposed copyright law changes favouring AI firms.

While UK artists like Myles Smith achieved notable hits, only nine of the year’s top 40 tracks were from domestic talent. The rise of global superstars from the US, South Korea, and Latin America is squeezing British music’s share in the global market.

As the industry celebrates a record-breaking year, it also faces a rapidly evolving landscape that demands new strategies to protect and promote domestic talent.